Firing mechanism of breech-loading guns.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUGKHAM. FIRING MECHANISM OF BBEEGH LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11 1911.

Patented May 12, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUGKHAM, OF WESTMINSTER,

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T0 VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENG- LAND.

FIRING MECHANISM OF BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

To all who m tt may concern Be; it known that we, ARTHURTREVOR knight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUGKHAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House,

Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Firing Mechanism of Breech-Loading Guns, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the firing mechanism of breech loading guns, and'has par-- ticular reference to devices of the kind in which contacts actuated from a trigger on the handle of the elevating hand wheel or lever are used for closing an electric circuit through the needle to fire the gun.

According to the present invention we employ simple make and break contacts carried by the gun cradle or mounting and the displaceable member of the said contacts is adapted to be actuated through lever mechanism so constructed and arranged that the said mechanism can be operated from the handle of the hand wheel or hand lever appertaining to the elevating gear in any'position of the hand Wheel or hand lever.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried. into effect, We will describe the same more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section of a constructional form of the firing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a plan, andFig. 4 an end elevation showing the electrical con tacts We employ, a portion of the casing having been removed in each of these figures.

A is the elevating hand lever and A the handle with which it is provided.

'a is the actuating shaft which carries the hand lever A, a is the elevating shaft which is connected with the shaft (1 by bevel wheels 0,", a, and A is the casing containing the said bevel wheels and the electrical contacts.

The trigger B is in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at b to the handle A near its inner end, one arm 1) serving as the actuating piece and being protected against unintentional movement by means of a guard B carried by the handle. The other arm L of the trigger is under the control of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed August 11, 1911. Serial No. 643,579.

a spring 6 and cotiperates'with a longitudi nally displaceable pin B arranged co-axially within the handle A,- the arm b being connected to the pin 12 by means of lateral studs 6* arranged between collars on the said pin. This connection is such that the handle A" and the trigger B can remain relatively stationary during the turning of the hand lever A without disor'ganizing the other mechanical connections of the device. The said pin B is connected at its end to a rocking member O pivotally mounted at c on the hand lever A and the outer or free end of the said member engages with a collar C slidably mounted on the boss A 'of the handle. The said collar is formed with a circumferential groove to receive a ring 0 having a pin 0 projecting laterally therefrom. The said pin passes through the casing A which is stationary relatively to' the hand lever A and is provided with the contact plate D. This contact plate carries the two contacts (Z and d and when displaced these connect with the fixed contacts d and (l respectively completing the main and auxiliary firing circuits. These contacts and the contact plate D are arranged within the casing A containing the gearing a", a

E is the main terminal of the contact plate D and is connected to the contact d and E is the auxiliary terminal connected to the contact d similarly F, F are respectively the main and auxiliary terminals of the contacts 05', d the former being connected to the contact (5 and the latter to the contact (1 What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In electrical firing mechanism for breech loading guns, the combination with the elevating hand lever and -its handle, of a trigger mounted on the said handle, a fixed and a movable contact carried by a relatively stationary part of the gun mounting, a longitudinally displaceable pin mounted in said stationary part and connected to said movable contact, mechanism for positively transmitting the movementof the' trigger to the pin in such a manner that there is no lost motion between any of the parts, and a single spring operating upon said trigger for returning the movable contact to its normal position.

2. In electrical firing mechanism for breech loading guns, the combination with the elevating handlever and its handle, of a trigger mounted on the said handle, a fixed and a movable contact carried by a relatively stationary part of the gun mounting, a longitudinally displaceable pin mounted in said stationary part and connected to the movable contact, a sliding collar arranged co-axially on the boss of the hand lever, means for connecting the said collar to the pin, means for positively transmitting the movement of the trigger to the collar in such a manner that there is no lost motion between any of the parts, and a single spring operatin upon said trigger for returning the movab e contact to its normal position.

3. In electrical firing mechanism for breech loading guns, the combination with the elevating hand lever and its handle, of a trigger mounted on the said handle, a fixed and a movable contact carried by stationary part of the gun mountin a longitudinal y displaceable pin mounte in said stationary part and connected to the movable contact, a sliding collar arranged co-axially on the boss of the hand lever, a ring engaging in a groove in the said collar, means for positively transmitting the movement of the trigger to the ring in such a manner that there is no lost motion between any of the parts, and a single spring operatin upon said trigger for returning the movab e contact to its normal position.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM. YVitnesses:

HENRY KING, J NO. R. CASWELL.

a relatively 

